Let’s Get to Know Gibson Pickups!

Talking about Gibson pickups inevitably turns into a story about vintage pickups or a history lesson, so this time I’m going to focus on Gibson pickups that are available in the market and give some of my recommended Gibson pickups! I will also introduce some other classic models to give you some more options when choosing humbuckers. Please read this article until the end!

First, here’s the BGM for today!
It was hard to decide on a song and I couldn’t find the right one... But, I chose a song that will get us moving regardless of the content.

Gibson / 57 Classic Double Black, Gold Cover

The first is the most well-known of the famous pickups, the 57 Classic!
As the name suggests, it’s designed to sound like a 1957 Les Paul.
I have an ES-335 with a 57 Classic Underwound on the front and 57 Classic on the rear, and it has a sweet, spacious sound that is perfect for jazz and blues players. The distorted sound has a lot of power, and if you are new to Gibson pickups, this is a good place to start.
There are also the 57 Classic Plus and 57 Classic Underwound pickups, which are reproductions of PAF pickups with more coil windings, to suit your preference!

Gibson / 57 Classic Plus

Gibson / 57 Classic Underwound

Gibson / Burstbucker Type 1 Double Black, Nickel Cover

This is also a standard product that you cannot miss!
There are three types of Burstbuckers: type 1, type 2, and type 3. The sound trend and output differ depending on the type.
The outputs can be ranked as type 1 as the lowest level, to type 2, then type 3 as the highest.
While they all use the same Alnico 2 magnets as the previously introduced 57 Classic, the most significant difference is that the Burstbucker uses the unmatched turn.
The unmatched turn is a reproduction of the sound change caused by the difference in the number of coil turns due to the lack of accurate equipment at that time. A humbucker is composed of two coils, and the unmatched turn is intended to reproduce the unique sound of vintage units created by the different number of turns in each coil.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the output of the Burstbucker Series varies depending on the type, so you can use type 1 on the front and type 2 on the bridge, or if you want more power, use type 2 on the front and type 3 on the bridge.

Gibson / Burstbucker Type 2

Gibson / Burstbucker Type 3

Gibson / Custombucker Matched Set, Double Black, True Historic Nickel

In recent years this Custombucker has been installed in many custom shop guitars.
This pickup uses the previously mentioned unmatched turn, but the main difference is that it is equipped with an Alnico 3 magnet. Compared to the Burstbucker, the Custombucker has a crisp sound, and the concept is more in line with the sound of the time.

Gibson / 500T - “Super Ceramic” Treble, Double Black

Next, I will introduce a high-gain pickup that is a change from the previous products.
After a series of Alnico coil pickups, as you can tell from the name, ceramic is used for a high-power sound. The tight bass and clear treble are a must for hard rock and heavy metal players. This is also recommended for Explorer and Flying V!

■ Summary

Here was my rough introduction of the royal road models. Each replacement manufacturer has a lineup of many PAF-conscious products, so I think that it would be good to try Gibson pickups as your main pickup!
There are many other attractive products in addition to the ones I have introduced, so go check them out!

⇒ List of Gibson Guitar Pickups